SFA Bounces Back with 6-5, 15-Inning Win at Northwestern State in Series Finale

Sunday, April 8

Natchitoches, La.

4:00 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

11-20, 4-8

Northwestern State

16-14, 6-6

Stephen F. Austin

Northwestern State

SFA Bounces Back with 6-5, 15-Inning Win at Northwestern State in Series Finale

4/8/2018 10:21:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Dziedzic puts forth sterling relief effort, Kimball's sacrifice fly in the 15th makes SFA a winner

By: Charlie Hurley | Director of Athletic Media Relations

Box Score

NATCHITOCHES, La. - Thanks to a slow-moving storm system that forced the postponement of Friday night's Southland Conference series opener between the Stephen F. Austin baseball team and their rivals from Northwestern State, freshman left-hander Dru Dziedzic did not get to finish what was shaping up to be one of the best pitching performances by a Lumberjack arm this season.

Fortunately, as luck would have it, the first-year man received the opportunity in the back end of Sunday's doubleheader to finish what he started - albeit in a game that went a bit longer than originally scheduled.

Nic Minor roped a game-tying RBI double to the gap in left center with two outs in the ninth inning to force extras and Tyler Kimball's sacrifice fly in the top of the 15th pushed the eventual game winning run across home plate to helped the 'Jacks end the third-longest game in program history with a 6-5 win over the Demons.

Dziedzic dominated the Demons, racking up seven strikeouts in 4.2 innings of relief work starting in the 10th. The Robinson, Texas, product needed just 59 pitches to lock up his first collegiate pitching victory and retired all 14 batters he faced. When Dziedzic was done, Jake Norton, the ninth pitcher the 'Jacks used in the game, received credit for the save after killing a Northwestern State rally attempt in the home half of the 15th by getting Tyler Smith to send a game-ending liner to Kimball at short which stranded two runners on the base paths.

Onlookers who witnessed the game's first six frames likely thought extra innings were a far cry from happening as the 'Jacks jumped out to a 4-1 lead. Jared Martin grounded into a run-producing double play in the top of the first before Skylar Black reached on the second of Northwestern State's three errors in the game later in the frame which allowed Josh Evans to come home from second and push the 'Jacks' edge to 2-0.

When coupling the 'Jacks' capitalization on their first-inning changes with freshman Sean Beasley's quality start, the Demons were hard-pressed to put a great deal of runs on the board. Aside from a third-inning sacrifice fly that cut SFA's lead to 2-1, Beasley had no major blemishes through his five innings of work. The freshman struck out four and walked just one while giving up a single hit.

Nick Daley received credit for an RBI when his fielder's choice ground ball scored Luis Santiago in the fifth and Eric DeJesus rapped an RBI single up the middle in the top of the sixth which pushed SFA's lead to three before the Demons made a bid for the win.

One of Kwan Adkins three hits for the game was an infield single in the home half of the seventh and the 'Jacks lone error of the game on that same play allowed Adkins to move to second and Caleb Ricca to come around and score. A two-out RBI single by Kelsey Richard capped the Demons' two-run seventh and trimmed the 'Jacks' lead to 4-3.

Northwestern State took the lead in the eighth when JP Lagreco ended the Demons' two-run inning with an RBI single up the middle to put the hosts up 5-4.

Down to their last set of at-bats in the top of the ninth, SFA's never-say-die attitude forced extras. Manny Vasquez delivered a one-out single to left center before Minor came through with SFA's biggest hit of the game.

As good as Dziedzic did in extra innings, Northwestern State's Jose Vasquez was just as good. The reliever tossed four scoreless frames before exiting in the top of the 15th and giving way to David Hodo and that's when the 'Jacks made their move.

Martin and Evans started SFA's 15th with a single and a double respectively and with one out DeJesus took a four-pitch walk from Reed Michel to load the bases. That set the table for Kimball who swung on the first pitch he saw from Robert Burke and send the ball just deep enough to center to score pinch runner Cody Williams from third.

In the Northwestern State 15th, Trayson Kubo retired the first two Demon batters he faced easily enough, but the third out proved to be a little more elusive than he intended. Kubo put runners on first and second with a walk and a hit by pitch before Norton took over and ended the game with a seven-pitch performance.

At the end of the marathon game, four 'Jacks finished with multiple hits including Evans who went 4-for-7 with a pair of doubles and a run scored. Black, Minor and Santiago each finished with a pair of hits in the win.

Up next for the 'Jacks as the continue their seven-game road trip is a non-conference midweek game at UTSA. First pitch at Roadrunner Park Tuesday evening has been set for 6:00 p.m.

-SFA-